Means for propelling ships and the like.



M. GOUNOUILHOU.

MEANS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1911.

095 1 0 1 Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

WITNESSES INVENTOR W I 9W gin-cg I Gounbuilho'u W RNEYS iOLUMBlA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. c-.

MARGEL GOUNOUILHOU,

OF BORDEAUX, FRANCE.

MEANS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS AND THE LIKE.

inoaioc.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914:.

Application filed November 17, 1911. Serial No. 660,902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARGEL GOUNOUrL- HOU, of 8 Rue de Cheverus, Bordeaux, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Propelling Ships and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a system of propulsion for ships and the like by means of wheels and has more particularly for its object to direct the fluid jets pro ected by the wheels in such a manner as to bring them into a horizontal direction and utilize their m's 'vz'oa for the propulsion.

In the accompanying drawing, which shows methods of carrying the inyention into practice by way of example: Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional elevation of a ship to which the invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 illustrates a modification.

In accordance with the invention, in order to utilize the fluid displaced by the motor wheels, there is arranged at the rear of these wheels a surface constituting a kind of guide blade of suitable curvature adapted for horizontally deflecting the molecules of fluid projected by the blades of the wheel.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 a wheel a comprising blades 5 (three for example) is arranged in a drum or housing 0 which connects with a horizontal plane d connected with the stern of the vessel by a surface 6 of appropriate curvature to cause the molecules of fluid projected by the blades Z) to be deflected horizontally. The wheel a is protected by means of suitable keels or shoes f from touching the bottom or floating wreckage.

The wheel a is appropriately eccentric relatively to its drum 0, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the section of the discharge orifice g is suitably greater than that of the admission orifice h.

The rudder c is mounted on a shaft 7' which is appropriately inclined to the vertical, in such a manner as to modify the depth to which the rudder is immersed in the water in its various positions of use.

The operation is as follows: During the rotation of the wheel a, which can be driven by any suitable motor, the water lifted by the blades 5 is projected by the latter against the surface 6 where its various molecules are thrown off by this surface in the direction indicated by the arrow F, thus producing a reaction in the opposite direction which facilitates the advance of the ship. Furthermore, owing to the fact that the wheel is eccentric relativelyto the drum 0, any water that has been carried along by the blades owing to viscous adhesion, finds a passage of increasing section to the outlet g, which prevents the wheel from being choked by this water.

During navigation in a straight line the rudder is not completely immersed as shown in Fig. 1 but owing to the inclination of its axis of rotation j when it is desired to turn the ship, the rudder enters the water to an increasing extent in proportion as the radius of gyration is reduced, in such a manner that as its immersed surface increases its action becomes more eflicacious and furthermore the inclination of this surface relatively to the vertical constantly tends to keep the ship erect and to prevent it from capsizing during turning movements. 1

The motor or paddle wheel might be arranged as shown in Fig. 4, in this constructional form of the device, which is intended more particularly for low speeds of rotation, the wheel 70 may comprise a large number of blades m and upon the rear of the housing a of this wheel three surfaces 0, p, Q for example are arranged; these surfaces are appropriately shaped and connect respectively with horizontal surfaces 0", s, t which terminate at the stern of the ship. These deflecting surfaces constitute to some eX- tent one or more tunnels directing the water placed in movement by the motor wheel 01' wheels toward the stern of the vessel and at the same time receiving the impulsion given by this water. lNith this arrangement the liquid molecules projected by the blades, in proportion as their centrifugal force increases reach one of the three surfaces 0, p, g in such a manner that they are directed horizontally toward the stern and give rise to a propulsive reaction.

The advantages are as follows: The provision at the stern of propeller or paddle wheels with surfaces appropriately arranged for changing the direction of the liquid molecules projected by these blades toward the stern of the vessel permits of utilizing the greater part of. the m's view of these molecules for the propulsion of ships,

thereby increasing the efiiciency of the propeller. The number of blades on the wheels may vary in accordance with the speed of rotation of the latter, the number of blades decreasing in proportion as the speed of rotation is greater, so as to facilitate the admission of the fluid. The number of guide blades may also vary with this speed although the provision of a single surface as represented in Fig. 1 would be preferable with a suitable velocity.

The invention is applicable to the propulsion of ships of all kinds through the water and eventhrough the air. In the latter case it is only necessary to add to the hull or envelop represented in Figs. 1 and 2 supporting surfaces serving to increase, the stability of the apparatus in the air, in which it is supported for the greater part by the propeller itself, owing to the lifting action that it produces in projecting the fluid molecules against the guide surfaces.

The invention is equally applicable to models or to toys of all dimensions, the wheels being driven in any convenient manner, by a motor, a spring or any other appropriate means.

\Vhat I claim is:

In a boat, a housing open at the bottom and having its front wall extending below the rear wall and its end walls extending below the front wall, and a paddle wheel having elongated blades radiating from its hub, said wheel being eccentrically mounted in the housing with its blades above the end *alls thereof.

MARCEL GOUNOUILHOU.

In the presence of two witnesses:

N. PERIIAER, Mom Connovnmn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

